Weighbridge Checks, Driver Registry to Curb Mineral Truck Overloading
Repeated instances of overloading by a vehicle will trigger inspection at the source quarry
Hyderabad: The transport department has decided to introduce weighbridge-based verification and a driver registry to curb overloading of mineral transport vehicles.
The decision was taken at a high-level meeting held on Friday with director, mines and geology, Anudeep, and officials of the Telangana State Mineral Development Corporation (TGSMDC) to review measures for strengthening weighment verification and introducing a verified driver registry.
Officials said that weighment details for 23 notified minerals, including sand and stone, are self-declared online by quarry owners at the point of loading, with transit permits generated automatically without independent verification en route. In the absence of such verification, vehicles carrying loads beyond permitted limits may go undetected, with on-road checks remaining the only method of enforcement.
To address this, the department plans to introduce mandatory transit weighment at empanelled weighbridges jointly controlled by the transport and mines and geology departments. A percentage of vehicles will be selected randomly for mandatory weighment after the generation of transit permits, with drivers being alerted through SMS or WhatsApp. Non-compliance will be treated as a deemed case of overloading.
Officials said the coverage would be expanded in phases as the network of empanelled weighbridges increases. Repeated instances of overloading by a vehicle will trigger inspection at the source quarry.
The system is based on an API-driven automatic weighment mechanism already in use for stone crusher units under TGMDC, which has reduced instances of overloading. The department will also examine amendments to relevant mining and transport laws and integration with VAHAN for issuing notices in cases of detected violations.
